
Conductors' Brew
Orchestra conductors Larry Spell and Matt Mainella discus with their guests the joys and challenges of working in classical music.
Episodes
56 episodes
Fun With Flags!
To celebrate Flag Day, we take an extended nerd moment on flags, of course. Plus, we discuss patriotic concerts and wind band music.
•
Season 2
•
Episode 7
•
1:25:05

The Crew on Film
The crew is back to talk film scores and our favorite movie music composers.
•
Season 2
•
Episode 6
•
1:29:44

Guten Tag! It’s the Brahms Show
The crew is back together to talk Brahms on the 125 anniversary of his death. Gab a bowl of Raisin Brahms and join us.
•
Season 2
•
Episode 5
•
1:02:27

The CODA Conference Returns!
The College Orchestra Directors Association conference returned last month for the first time since the start of Covid. In this episode we discus the conference and how the organization stayed relevant during the pandemic with out-going CODA Pr...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 4
•
1:57:01

Into the Time Machine!
This episode we crank up the Conductors Brew time machine and whisk ourselves to the past to visit some of our favorite composers. Along the way we also get sucked into the Internet wormhole of technical difficulties. The time machine needs wor...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 3
•
1:06:36

Fighting Burn Out
This month we talk about keeping work, school, and the challenges of life as a musician in perspective.
•
Season 2
•
Episode 2
•
1:35:29

We’re Back!
We’re back for season 2 of the show! We discuss our new format and look ahead to another season with COVID-19.
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
57:17

Boldly We Go!
We conclude our first season with a nerdy voyage through the music of Star Trek. Plus the crew discusses our favorite symphonies and looks back on our first year.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 48
•
1:27:08

Composers and Critics on Music
To deepen our understanding of music we go straight to the source and read the writings of prominent critics and composers. Plus Brandon brings the jokes.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 47
•
1:02:46

Making Connections with Our Audiences, Part 2
User Experience (UX) professional Jess Vice joins the crew to continue our discussion on the concert experience.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 46
•
1:27:06

Making Connections with Our Audiences
This week we welcome crew members Kate Campbell, Brandon Horrocks, Audrey Lund, Em Lund, and Ashkan Tabatabaie to discuss how orchestras can better connect with audiences.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 45
•
1:15:05

The Concerto Show
Matt returns for a conversation about conducting concertos, one of the trickier tasks a conductor undertakes.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 44
•
1:02:53

The Salt Lake Symphony Returns!
The Salt Lake Symphony, one of Utah’s finest community orchestras, returns this month for a series of concerts featuring for the first time since the pandemic the full brass section. Join us for a sample of the concert and an interview with mus...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 43
•
29:59

More Mahler
We’re back with the second part of our Mahler journey. This week Matt takes us through Symphony No. 9 and gives his opinion on what it’s all about.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 42
•
58:50

Mahler
Join the crew for the first of two episodes on one of music‘s greatest conductors and composers, Gustav Mahler. Plus, we engage in coffee siphon combat!
•
Season 1
•
Episode 41
•
51:02

The Art of a Luthier with Ben Ward
This week Ben Ward takes us inside the instrument, and explains the process and history of making orchestral strings.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 39
•
1:19:11

Bucket List
Every conductor has pieces they dream about doing, or can’t wait to do again. This week the crew discusses which pieces are on our bucket list and which pieces we just can’t conduct enough.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 38
•
1:17:36

Get With The Program
Our thoughts on performing program music are truly fantastique.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 37
•
1:04:34

Pulling Out All the Stops on Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony
Dr. Robert Baldwin joins us and crew mate Matthew Makeever to discus Saint-Saëns’s magnum opus, his Symphony No. 3 “Organ.” Plus, Dr. Baldwin gives us a review of his COVID school year.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 36
•
1:05:51

John on Jazz
Jazz bandleader and trumpet player John Olshinski join us to talk about the role of leading a jazz ensemble.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 35
•
59:27

Holst: The Country and the Cosmos
Brandon Horrocks joins Matt and Larry this week for a discussion of two of Gustav Holst's most beloved works, St. Paul's Suite and The Planets.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 34
•
1:01:25

Nationalism in Music
This week the crew discusses what makes a piece of music nationalistic and factors conductors might consider when programming these works.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 33
•
1:13:46
